Everything
by amessoffand0ms
Summary: The Doctor reminds River why he married her.


Everything

It was a few weeks after Manhattan-for both of them.

River was still in 1938 New York, and had taken to writing the book that had decided her parent's fate.

The Doctor was also there, but she did not know it. The Tardis was parked in a side street, a couple of blocks away from the hotel where River was staying.

The Doctor sat in the console room, wondering whether to go and see his wife.

Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, the Tardis gave out two short sharp hums.

"You think I should go and see her?" He asked his ship.

The Tardis hummed again, quickly.

"I'll take that as a yes then." He sighed, and stood up.

The Tardis gave a long, low hum.

He smiled. "Is that your way of saying that everything's going to be okay?"

She hummed again.

"It is, isn't it?" He smiled, and made his way outside, being careful to lock the front door of his ship.

The Doctor made his way into the hotel, unnoticed by the staff he made his way upstairs-River was checked into room 25.

The faint clacking of typewriter keys was heard-the door to number 25 was open.

The Doctor saw his wife and smiled, taking her in. A pair of reading glasses were perched on her nose, she was wearing a white dressing gown, clearly from the future. Underneath that she wore a blush pink nightgown, her feet were bare. He could tell that she'd recently had a bath, her curly hair was still slightly damp. She was tapping away, in her own little world.

"Hello, darling." He murmured.

She jumped. "Sweetie!" She said in shock-but it was without her usual smirk.

"My love?" He asked. She burst into tears.

"River, River, River..." He said, walked towards her, and pulled her close.

She resisted for a moment, and then clung to him, nestling against his shoulder.

He held her, letting her cry.

After a few moments, she pulled away.

"My love, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked his wife gently, wiping her tears away with the pad of his thumb.

"I must look so old to you... Glasses, wrinkles, I don't have a scrap of makeup on to cover them up even." She sniffed.

"You're not old. And for the record, I think you look amazing."

"Really?"

"Yes. I didn't marry you for your looks-well, that was a small part of it obviously-but the reason I married you is because you are beautiful inside and out-you have a beautiful soul, a sense of adventure. You're beautiful in every single way... My River. My wife."

She gazed at him. "Oh Sweetie... I never let you see the damage. I've learnt not to."

"We all have our bad days, our flaws." He reassured her.

She rested her forehead against his own, letting him see in her mind how much she loved him and how hard she fought to be strong for him.

He sighed. "River, I will love you no matter what."

"That is a complete ditto." She thought back to him, and stepped back. "I'd better get on with my book... Sit with me?"

"Always." He said, drawing up a chair next to hers at the desk and sat down.

River sat down also, and resumed her writing.

He rested his head on her shoulder and watched her face. Gone was her upset, instead a smile tugged at her lips and a frown passed across her face every now and then in concentration-she was beautiful.

"That's it for today I think." River said a while later, sitting back and stretching her fingers.

"You're beautiful, you know." Said the Doctor, giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you." She blushed. "I-I'm sorry for earlier."

He squeezed her hand. "Hush, don't apologise."

"Okay..." River sighed , and got up. "I'd better get dressed."

A few minutes later she came back into the room wearing brown boots, black jodhpurs, a black t-shirt and a black leather jacket. A circular locket hung around her neck by a silver chain.

"What's that?" He gestured to her necklace.

She opened the locket and took it off. On one side of the locket was a picture of River as a baby with her parents, on the other was a picture of her and the Doctor-it was a selfie that they'd taken on Amy's phone, the Doctor was giving his wife a kiss on the cheek and she was blushing, but smiling nonetheless.

"The most important people in my life, close to me always." River explained.

He smiled. "Sweet."

She sat down next to him again. "Can we go somewhere? Just to the Tardis even? 1938 does get a little wearing."

"Of course we can." He beamed, standing up and taking her hand.

The couple hurried out of the hotel, going unnoticed by the staff and passers by.

River sighed in relief when they entered the Tardis, and sat down on one of the seats with a sigh.

The Doctor sat down next to her. "Okay?"

"I will be." She sighed, laying her head on his shoulder.

He kissed her forehead. "Missing your parents?"

She nodded. "I'll see them when I deliver my book draft to Amy, but..."

"It won't be the same." He finished for her.

She nodded again. "Doctor?" She said, sitting up.

"Yes?" He asked, gazing at her.

"If we ever have children, promise me something." Stated River.

"Okay..."

"That we'll be able to spend more time with them than I did with my own parents." The Doctor's wife continued, looking into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I can't promise you that my love. But I will do everything that I can do ensure that." The Doctor replied.

"I'm happy with that." River conceded.

She made her way to the kitchen, and switched the kettle on in order to make herself a cup of coffee.

The Doctor waited a few minutes to give her some space, then followed her into the kitchen.

She was sat at the kitchen table, tapping coordinates into her vortex manipulator.

"Going so soon?" He asked.

River shook her head. "No, just in case." She responded simply. She stood up and held his hand.

He pulled her close. "I love you, River."

"I love you too, Sweetie. Doctor- my Doctor."

"My River. My Melody Pond." He said, and kissed her.

When they pulled apart, the Doctor cupped her face in his hands. "No matter what, I love you. Always."

"That is a ditto." She smiled, kissing him again. "Fancy a swim in the pool?"

"Okay, as long as you wear my favourite swimsuit on you." He suggested.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Spoilers!" She giggled.


End file.
